Leah: A Love Story

By William Henry

In 1932, a faithful pastor by the name of A. M. Overton was leading a congregation of believers in the small town of Baldwyn, Mississippi. He and his beloved wife were the parents of three young children and a fourth was on the way. When it came time for the birth of this child, serious medical complications arose, resulting in the death of both the mother and the baby. During the funeral service, as the preacher conducting the service was speaking, Pastor Overton, though heartbroken and now without his dear wife, penned the wonderful poem which has been a true blessing and encouragement to thousands of yearning hearts. May it do the same for you. He Maketh No Mistake "My Father's way may twist and turn, My heart may throb and ache, But in my soul, I'm glad I know, He maketh no mistake. "My cherished plans may go astray, My hopes may fade away, But still I'll trust my Lord to lead, For He doth know the way. "Tho' night be dark and it may seem That day will never break, I'll pin my faith, my all in Him, He maketh no mistake. "There's so much now I cannot see, My eyesight's far too dim, But, come what may, I'll simply trust And leave it all to Him. "For by and by the mist will lift, And plain it all He'll make, Through all the way, tho dark to me, He made not one mistake." -A. M. Overton It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Leah Unwanted, unloved, unappreciated, unknown, with few talents and no beauty that a possible mate would desire. Yet she overcame her inadequacies and hardships to emerge as one of the premier women of the Old Testament. Sad, confused Leah. Seeking but not receiving love and acceptance from those who should have loved her the most. And yet she emerges as blessed, happy, and fulfilled. Leah's story is one that resonates through the centuries to guide and encourage woman (and men) as they face the challenges all people must face each day though often not being appreciated by those around them. Leah. An overcomer. Leah. A victor. Leah. A true love story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098031039

William Henry

William Henry is an historian, archaeologist and author of several titles including Coffin Ship, Hidden Galway, Famine; Galway's Darkest Years, Forgotten Heroes and Galway and the Great War. He lives in Galway.

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Leah

A Love Story

William J. Henry

Copyright © 2020 by William J. Henry

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

All Scripture quotations are from the Authorized King James Version

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

The Journey Begins

The Journey Begins

The Sad Marriage of Leah

God Is Good All the Time

The Burden Lifted

Lessons Learned

Lessons Applied

Leah: A Story of God’s Love

A Lamp unto My Feet

The Source of Leah’s Strength

Some Other Helps

Final Considerations

Dedication

This book is lovingly dedicated to my dear wife, Jill. For over fifty-one years, she has been my soul mate, my completer, and friend.

I sincerely love and appreciate her more than words can tell.

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22)

Preface

Leah, the unloved and unappreciated.

As so many people experience today, the young girl Leah wanted acceptance, love, and the respect of her family, friends, and new husband.

She continually tried to earn these much-needed blessings, but never received them.

Leah was not her husband’s first choice, and she was never able to measure up to what he wanted in a wife.

And yet we will find that Leah ultimately did find fulfillment and contentment.

How did she achieve this great level of life while being shunned and rejected by those who should have loved and accepted her?

Perhaps you, too, will be blessed and encouraged as you follow Leah’s path from heartache to true joy.

Acknowledgments

Iwant to thank the people who have been so supportive and encouraging as I endeavored to bring forth such a book as this.

My dear wife and children have been such a blessing as they continually and faithfully supported me as I spent many hours researching material and writing the text. Their encouraging words and prayers helped me keep my hand to the plow until the task was completed. I love each of you very much.

The people at Christian Faith Publishing not only are professional and efficient in their work, but are such a blessing to work with. They made the job of getting the book ready for publishing much less arduous and the final product very pleasing.

I sincerely thank each of you very much.

Wise Counsel

If God sends a storm, He will also guide the ship.

Chapter One

The Journey Begins

In our American society, wealth, talent, social connections, and appearance play a large part regarding a person’s acceptance or rejection; it should not be so, but it is.

A young female may receive millions of dollars because she is attractive and can sing well and appeal to the basest levels of morality. Thousands of other young people follow her example as they try to be accepted by their peers and find meaning in life.

And yet few realize how empty is her life and how void of character she may be and how empty of true joy is her life.

A great athlete may have no positive or moral character yet may receive millions of dollars and whatever his selfish heart desires, simply because he can perform better than others at a sporting event. When his ability to perform well is past, then his services are no longer wanted.

An actor or actress repeats words someone else wrote for them and acts as their director tells them to act; for this, they receive a tremendous salary and much fame. They are in demand and live lavish lifestyles—for a while. Age and physical deterioration take their toll and the actor or actress becomes a part of movie history and is forgotten by the majority of those who partake of the film entertainment industry.

But for those who are simply common, average individuals, trying to make sense of life as they work from day to day to do what they have been given in life to do, their greatest joy comes in the importance and acceptance expressed by their family, friends, and close acquaintances. Hardly anything else matters unless we have the love, respect, and acceptance of those we love. Leah had neither. A person who has the love of family